As you have noticed, the blog has been down for a period of time but we are up and running again so we wanted to encourage you to continue to follow our days here in Nigeria. We are so grateful for all the time and effort our daughter Emilie has been putting into keeping the blog up to date - we'd be lost without her help. The suspension of the blog was a necessary one. We have become aware of the necessity to keep things ‘basic' on the blog. Cultural differences are vast and what may be posted and understood by our culture, may not be received well by another culture. We are living in interesting times. We are so dependent upon the prayers and support of all of you and we want to be able to keep you fully informed of what is happening here. In order to do that, we would like to send out updates/prayer requests through an email distribution list. If you would like to receive the updates through email which will include issues not covered on the blog, simply sent a quick emailto donna's address to the left - donnaterpstra@gmail.com - and your name will be added to the list. If you would rather not receive them, there is nothing to do. Your name will not be added to the distribution list. Only those replying with an email will be added to the list. The blog will be up and running as usual with periodic updates and hopefully many more pictures as we are working on that now as well. Thank you for your love and support. We so appreciate it! Blessings to you ~~ Jon, Donna & Eli Terpstra

April 5, 2009It’s been a challenging week. I ministered on Sunday at Covenant Center Nelson Mandela A/G. On Monday evening I taught Bible class at BCCM (Bible Christian Crusaders Mission) for Rev Okoro. On Tuesday I was asked to come back to Covenant Center and teach the Bible class there. God is always faithful and I am so grateful for the opportunities.

The rest of the week was spent coping with daily life. Once again the heat was beyond its norm. Even the Nigerians are tired of coping with the unending severity of the heat. When the Nigerians sit in your presence dripping with sweat and say that they are hot---you know that it’s hot. Once again we are without electric. We were becoming a bit accustomed to the NEPA that we were receiving consistently for a few days. It doesn’t take long to get spoiled with having a fan and a/c in the evening for sleep. For now however, we are again without power.

There is much that makes life difficult here. Since so many people depend upon public transport, it makes them not to be dependable. They can have the intentions of coming at a particular time but by the time they can get onto a bus –random times and schedules at best – or wave down a scooter, time keeps passing by. Then there is the issue of traffic. You can be held up in traffic for quite some time b/c of the ever present breakdowns on the road. Scooters are able to weave in and out of traffic but if you are on a ‘bus’ (loosely translated as a van filled with standing room only, people on each others laps and some hanging out the sliding door) if you are in one of these your time is not your own. You will simply arrive whenever the vehicle eventually makes its destination. And so, Nigerians are accustomed to not being mindful of the time. Just yesterday Jon and I had an interesting conversation with a young pastor. While in Bible College it was said that for a pastor to wear a watch would be to be insensitive to his people’s needs….that being mindful of the time would indicate to them that they were not of value as they shared their problems and concerns. Interesting thought. We tried to express the mindset that we as westerners live with: that to make others wait on you is wasting their time and not being considerate of those waiting. The Nigerian response is: Yes, but your time has not yet come until I arrive. In other words, until the time of the Nigerian’s arrival, the time you use is your own and they are not using your time, but just their own. Hhmmmm. In the meantime, we are learning not to be as time conscious and to always be ready…..but yet busy while waiting…therefore avoiding the frustration of time being lost.

Cultures such as this do not revolve around the clock but around the event. The event begins upon your arrival – regardless of the time. Many times I am brought into services where people have been for hours and hours. When I discover that they have been waiting for me to arrive I struggle inside with feelings of irresponsibility and guilt for making others wait for my untimeliness. (is there such a word?) As I am struggling, they are rejoicing because only now has the evening or event begun…..she’s here. Until one lives in another culture, you don’t realize how we are molded from our earliest days by the environment in which we live. In the US we live according to the media time…..the news programs, our favorite radio broadcasts or television shows, etc. We live according to shopping hours and business hours. These things do not exist here. Shopping hours are whenever there is someone who will open the door or mind the gate so you can enter. Media programs and broadcasts are not an issue as they are only watched if there is electric. And then, only if the state government has not overran the station with its own version of what is of value. It brings the minds of the people into a different way of thinking. What gets done – gets done. What does not – does not. Either way, each day I wake and live in a place called Nigeria. Most have no idea of what life may be in another place other than this country. The majority of people have never left their place of origin or birth much less their country. So in their minds – this is normal. There are times they look at our frustration after waiting most of the day for someone to arrive and wonder just what is our problem. …after all, they have arrived now (four hours after their scheduled arrival) and all is well. They greet you with their big beautiful smiles…they bend their knee in respect and laugh nervously, they may even embrace you (if and only if you embrace them first) Let’s enjoy one another and sit in one anothers presence. And so what if it’s four hours later than you had planned on leaving…so what if it’s now in the heat of the day to be taken to the market…so what if the bank is now closed…we will do it another day.

So if it seems my writing is a bit random in regard to when I am writing…. it’s okay – at least I am writing. I am planning on writing. I have every intention of writing. When I actually get to the point of writing, I will relax and enjoy it. Once I am there, the writing will begin. Until then…..well, let’s just say I am biding my time.

We worshiped at Nelson Mandela Assemblies of God Covenant Center today. The pastor there is Rev Theodore Effiong. The ministry named Prayer City was founded by his and his wife, Mary, and another couple from Calabar. Thousands meet every Wednesday for prayers and fasting. Believers of all denominations meet and pray from sunrise to sunset. It is a powerful force in the region and a blessing to see believers join beyond the denominational barriers.

Covenant Center is the largest A/G church in Calabar and recently completed its construction. Building takes years and years to be completed here. The premise is to build until the money is gone and then start again when money comes available. It’s a beautiful building for such a place as this. The members are vibrant and joyful.

Many special events were scheduled for the day, one of which was child dedication. Parents brought their babies forth for prayer and dedication at the altar. Babies are so precious here as infertility and miscarriage is quite common. As the people were singing and praising God, I had closed my eyes to pray as we sat on the platform. After I finished praying I opened my eyes and saw to my left, two goats about 10 feet from where we were sitting. Something new for me…. I’ve preached while goats were bleating outside the church windows but never with them in the sanctuary before. The families had brought these goats as offerings: one goat was for missions as a group would soon be leaving into the heart of the jungle for an outreach and food would be necessary to feed those going; the other was given as a sacrifice for the child being dedicated. It’s a new thought for many of us but a gift unto God is a sacrifice of what we have. These people had goats and it’s what they gave….not for the purpose of shedding blood but for the purpose of putting God before their substance.

I had been asked to minister the Word there earlier in the week and so I came prepared with a message. Each time I am asked to minister, I prepare a message but in most cases the messages I prepare are not given the day they’ve been prepared for. Most of the messages are tucked inside the back cover of my Bible and given impromptu on the occasions I speak without any notice. Being ready ‘in season and out’ is a necessity here. Studying throughout the week puts the message in my ‘belly’ and keeps it there until the occasion arises to bring it forth. This day was no exception. Although my message was prepared, when my feet hit the floor of the sanctuary God began to give another message. He took me to Ezekiel 34 and so I read the chapter and taught on the shepherds. He also took me to Joshua and the story of Achan and that there was sin in the camp – not a comfortable message but an obedient one, nonetheless. The question was asked “whose camp are you in?” expanding on the fact that not only Achan was stoned but all his family and possessions as well. The word in Ezekiel was also that God is judging between the sheep and the sheep……God is moving in Nigeria.

We closed the service with communion ….we’ve been blessed to have communion two Sundays consecutively….we are very grateful .

Jon and Eli accepted an opportunity to join on the missions trip that the church is doing. It is Monday the 6th through that Saturday. A group of members (about 15) will be going 6 hours by road and then walking 14 kilometers into the bush…..(remember I said Jon and Eli…..). They are going to three different villages with the gospel. We’ve been told that the gospel has not been presented there before so this will be an amazing opportunity. The church has gathered much food to carry into the bush for the people. They’ve also gathered clothing as many this deep inside are not yet wearing clothes. I know it sounds little challenging and perhaps a bit risky but we trust Rev Theodore and his wife Mary …and most of all we trust that God will only lead where He has gone before us. Rev Mrs. Mary will be going as well which is a comfort to Jon since they have traveled together before. We will be gathering more information as the week progresses and will keep you informed of what is happening.

It’s been hot. Not just hot but I mean really hot. When we came home in the evening at about 10 pm, it was still 91 degrees. No wind, no breeze, just hot, still air. They’ve told us the rains are coming. We believe them but it’s not made the days any cooler. And so, every day as we watch the clouds fill but never release their bounty we remember the words, ‘the rains are coming.’

Lately, the thunder has begun to roll and rumble in the distance. The locals say ‘it’s raining somewhere.’ And it’s true: someone is getting blessed with rain. Not us, not for today anyway. But yet, it is true – the rains are coming.

We walk up the dusty red roads and wish rain would wet down our path. But not today for our day of rain has not yet come. Some days in my soul I cry for rain. The other evening it was too hot to sleep and so I walked out onto the veranda with my mp3 player. I listened to ‘let it rain’ over and over but this time I was not asking for raindrops to fall. I was asking for the rains of heaven to flood my soul. It seems hot and dusty in my soul. The joy of salvation seems to be covered with a dusty veil of exhaustion and discouragement. I need to shower in His rain.

The service yesterday was such a blessing. Rev Okoro gave a message I have preached myself many times. But this day I was not giving, I was receiving. As a pastor here, you give much. I needed this day to receive. God ministered to my soul. I wept through much of the service. My tears were showering my soul. I was to be able to assist in serving communion to the 3000 in attendance. Dry and thirsty souls being refreshed by the body and blood of Jesus. What a gift.

Yesterday I watched the clouds once again fill with rain. And then it happened. I saw the branches of the palm trees start to move. They began to sway in a breeze – a breeze that was cooler than before. The clouds began moving. The thunder began to roll but it was rolling toward me, not away from me. I watched lightning flash again and again. I smelled the air. Did I dare believe it was coming? Can my heart watch another man receive his rain as I stand parched and believing for my own? At that moment I heard the rain begin to fall. I looked out on the street and everyone walking home from their long day of selling on the streets began to walk more slowly. We were all caught in a moment in time. Some stood still and looked into the heavens, like me. Some of us were sooooo ready for the rain.

The skies opened. Those clouds that I watch every day filling with water were now opening over our heads. It rained like I have never seen before. Children ran into the streets and danced in the rain. Eli ran out into the street and played soccer in the mud with the children nearby. Some just stood and showered – shaking their heads and opening their mouths to receive all they could. And then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. The muddy roads were running red with water. People were walking up to their ankles on the sides of the roads. A gift from heaven so welcomed and received.

Nigeria is filled with many sights and sounds…..it is also filled with many smells. We are living on the second story of a home belonging to Ma Grace. She is in her 70s although you would never know it. God has entrusted her to the Godly raising of many children: her own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and an assortment of others. There are currently 3 individuals living with her downstairs.

Last week, a grandson, John, from Houston came for a two week stay. That would mean he would live upstairs where we are living. (We are grateful to each have our own rooms.) The receiving of guests meant that all other ‘unwanted’ residents had to go. Living in a third world country under the conditions that we do, somewhere in your mind you realize that you are living among creatures that you choose to ignore. You know that they are there. You choose however to believe that they are not. Ma Grace chose another remedy. She chose to set out poison. This poison, like most, is attractive. It is meant to draw the vermin out and for them to take in what is being offered. It is really their hunger or desire for something attractive to satisfy them that entices their eating their own demise. The idea of poisoning other residents of our home seemed understandable…until the poison took effect. Ma lives downstairs……away from the vermin that reside in our area and ceiling. It didn’t take long until the very strong scent of death was in the air. Any local that would enter our area would promptly say…..’You have rat.’ Yes, it’s true, I smell a rat.

Now, living with rats and choosing to ignore them was much easier for me than living with rats and being forced to smell them. Each day the scent would grow stronger. People who came to see us would climb up on chairs, turn over furniture and peek behind curtains to find our rats. These rats however were in the ceiling and the ceiling was sealed and unable to be opened for inspection. And so, day after day we would live in the stench of our once-ignored and unseen guests…that stench being a now very-present reminder of their presence.

It seems that God chooses so many times to use my daily life and struggles as the lessons I need to learn. One day when I felt I could take the smell no longer, He began to speak. He lay upon my heart in different scriptures of how our behavior, our hypocritical actions, our hardness of heart was a stench to Him. How those things we have hidden away in the recesses of our lives, much like the ceilings in our residence, although they may not be openly seen, still exist. The rats have been there all along but now something has drawn their presence out to our attention. Our negative thinking, our sins in secret have always been there, but now they are being brought out into the open.

Just as Ma was preparing to receive a special guest, God too, is preparing His church for the special coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Poison, as it were, has been placed out to draw out what needs to be struck dead within us…and for now, we stink. Others may search for the unpleasant smells in the obvious places but only we know what is hidden in our ‘ceilings’, in those secret places. The first rats to die crawled out into the open. Their ugly swollen carcasses were easy to see and remove. In fact we found them before we smelled them. The ones that smell the most are those who crawled deeper into their hiding places hoping to survive. But no one survives this poison…no matter where one hides.

I’ve shared with many how difficult this trip has been…in every way imaginable. But God has been drawing out the rats in my soul. They have been there all along but now they are exposed for all to see. ..Or should I say ‘smell.’ When Jesus went to His good friends’ home after the death of Lazarus, the sisters stood at the grave and said that ‘by now, the smell is bad……he ‘stinketh’ as it were….. Jesus knew that. I believe the smell was for all to behold because we need to know our true condition – without Him, we stink. And it’s because of that dying, that stinking, that the true glory of the life of Christ in us can be appreciated. It is only with His life flowing in us that we can live in fullness and without our stench.

His fragrance is what I want. I want others to inhale His presence because I carry it with me and within me. Without Him I am nothing. Without Him I can do no good thing. Without Him, I stink.

I had opportunity to spend some time with Rev Dr Ojong this week. He is a professor at the University of Calabar here in the Philosophy of Sciences. He is a full-time professor on a stipend to pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The Redeemed is a strong force in Nigeria with an aggressive mandate of planting a church every 5 kilometers. They don’t believe anyone should have the excuse of not being able to make it to a church…especially when there is one every 5 kilometers. His parish is one of the main parishes with 1500+ members. I have ministered there many times and always enjoy their fellowship. He has been a blessing in being able to help us with transportation and connecting us with the right people in regard to some basic daily needs…..shipping, courier services, etc. I’ve mentioned it before but you can’t walk into business like these and get what you need done without a local with you. Many times, these pastors will take us to their ‘members’ businesses. The members are blessed by the business and having ‘daddy’ oversee the transactions keeps things honest. With the help of many, our passports finally made it to Lagos. We are now in the process of ‘applying’ (that means paying) for re-application of our visas. It’s a long story and once things are in place we may be able to share the details. At this point however, we are caught in a system controlled by the world and its ways. We have prayed and trust that God will make a way for us to stay as long as He needs for us to.

I will be ministering in a program for the Redeemed in the near future. Rev Ojong will be organizing a women’s meeting for a number of the parishes and we will finish the program for the entire church on a Sunday. His parishes are a bit more progressive…the people are generally more educated and we do not need to use interpreters as English is the prevailing language for the educated people in Calabar.

Jon just brought me a treat……avacadoes are about 20 cents a piece here. They eat them whole but we’ve made a lot of guacamole…..we add tomatoes and onions and taa – daa !! Now that we have the guacamole…what about the chips?? Well, we have found that banana chips…sliced the long way…fried in oil will suffice. It’s actually quite good and hits the spot. Today however, we have no banana chips and Jon’s guacamole is especially good tonight. Well, one thing about Nigeria, it brings the creativity out for sure…..I’m missing the crunch of the chips and the only food we have with a crunch is about a cup and a half of corn flakes. Yes, I said corn flakes. We sprinkled the corn flakes on the top of the guacamole and we laugh as we imagine we are at On the Border dining on Guacamole Live !!! Well, this version is Nigeria Live and it actually tastes good. Who knows, maybe we’ll start a trend !!!

We worshiped at Rev Okoro’s church today. It was the last day of the conference this week. What a wonderful experience. We were given a very powerful message on inner wounds and healing. The Nigerians don’t generally share their ‘secret’ wounds of the heart and so when ‘Daddy Okoro’ taught with a father’s heart of the need to be healed, there was a great response. Rev Okoro is certainly a blessing to many. We also closed out the program with communion. I was asked to help serve the communion. That was a special experience as well…serving 3000 people communion. I was amazed at how well the practical details worked with such a group of that size. The service started at 7:30…..we ended communion at 2:30. When these people come to church – they stay until God is finished……what a blessing.

We were blessed to have a gentleman to drive us back and forth to the program during the week from Rev Okoro’s church. A wonderful man who also has 3 sons and one daughter and so we immediately connected by our hearts for our children. He and his wife wanted to treat Eli to something special today and so we were taken to a place called Chicken Republic. It’s a franchise that sells fried or baked chicken but the twist is that they sell chips – that’s French fries to you and me. Boy, was Eli blessed. He had chicken, fried and a cold Sprite. We sat in the a/c and visited with this lovely couple. It was a time of refreshing for us. They then took us a ways down the road and bought us ice cream. Does it get any better? Not when you’re 13!!! (I must admit I ate my share as well!)

God is so faithful to me. He knows when I need a re-charging…I was so blessed by the service. God touched my heart in many ways. Communion moved my spirit. God had spoken to me earlier in the week that He longed to hear His people sing Holy, Holy, Holy, as He took me to His Word in Revelation of the worship around the throne. Then today as we were praying during communion, Rev Okoro opened his mouth and started singing Holy, holy, Holy – the people joined in and it was a piece of heaven. After service I asked Rev Okoro if singing that hymn was a usual occurrence during communion. He smiled brightly and said, “No, never have we sung it before that way. It was just that I could hear it in my spirit and I let God take control.” I am blessed as I lay down to sleep this evening. This is why I love Nigeria. Despite the challenges, there is nothing more precious to me than obedience to the Spirit of God. Thank you Father, thank you my Daddy, for allowing me to worship with these people, in this place and in these days of your Kingdom. May You forever receive all Glory and Praise. Amen

Monday, March 16Woke to the sound of heavy equipment today. ARAB Contractors, a company from Egypt is trying to repair the local roads and it’s our road’s turn. What a mess. The dust is so bad that now we cannot have the windows open….no a/c, no fans, no windows….no good. Still no progress getting our visas to Lagos. We will need to send them DHL – risky business due to the fact they are American passports which sell for big money on the black market. The blood of Jesus will prevail. Tuesday, March 17Still no power. The contractors have not cut through our water lines. You guessed it. Now we have no power and no water. Once again, choices are made. Showers or drinking water. My body is changing. I’m developing the ‘missionary bladder’. A missionary bladder means you can survive on a cup of water a day and you don’t need to pee until the opportunity arises! Peeing on demand is a skill…laugh all you want but there are NO public bathrooms in Nigeria and squatting in a long dress in the weeds has lost its appeal. When I think of all the Americans dutifully carrying the jugs and bottles of clean water everywhere they go I shake my head. Drinking 8 glasses a day…you’ve got to be kidding me ! Back to water - At this point the choice is made for you. Today I have a half gallon of water for flushing, washing and drinking. Needless to say, the shower and shampoo has been swapped for the drinking. The flushing- well, it’s hard to watch good water run down the drain!! Jon and Eli are in the village which means a day alone…..something I am adjusting to. I am either alone or ministering/counseling. The alone time is becoming more precious all the time. I am so grateful for my mp3 player…I listen continuously…it the first thing to be charged. It keeps my flesh under control and my thoughts focused. It’s loaded with messages of Ravenhill, Spurgeon, Tozer, Paul Washer and a great deal of music.

We were to attend a program at Rev Okoro’s church this week on healing and deliverance but with the road torn up, we can’t get a driver to us. In addition to that, since Sunday, all of the vehicles we had been using have broken down. Go figure. It keeps me home and that’s okay for now. Jon and Eli are still able to get out as they walk to the nearest junction and ride in the missionary bus. Yes, it’s all you can imagine. Filled with rust and holes. Seats without cushions, broken windows and sounds like a tank. What a hoot. It has Missionary Bus written on the side……big surprise.

A week has flown by again. We had an opportunity to go to a place called Cercapan which is a sanctuary for orphaned and abandoned monkeys. Their purpose is to educate people to stop the hunting of monkeys. It was interesting to see the different kinds of monkeys in the refuge there. It was also nice to see Eli see something new and different. He took a lot of nice photos. He's getting good with a camera. On Saturday we went to the open air market. Eli needed something to wear for church (native wears) and a few other things. We met out friend Chikezie at his shop and he took us to the places that we needed to go to. Someone like us cannot go to the market unattended and fare very well. You need an local to guide you (and protect you) as you go. We were grateful for his help. Eli ended up with a nice white outfit, a notebook and best of all a case of Ramon noodles. They are called ‘en doe me' here but they are the same thing. We eat them dry and save the spices for rice, etc. We celebrated a week of safety by going out to a place called Mr Biggs.......Eli was hungry and needed some A/C so after the market we stopped by for some rice and chicken. The rest of the day was spend trying to keep cool. The generator has not been able to carry the load and so electric has been scarce. One challenge is the lack of electric for the fridge. We purchase juice or fruit or soy milk and put them in a small fridge and without power our food goes bad. It's very frustrating and a waste of money. Since we can only go to the market when we have a driver, we get what we need when we have the chance and put things n the fridge. Keeping things in the fridge keeps them from critters and bugs as well as the oppressive heat which takes its toll on most all the food. Fresh foods are generally good for 24+ hours without the fridge. Right now we are buying the fuel for the gen and trying to see what it costs on an average to have electric. Our electrical needs are for the fridge, the a/c and for charging phones, etc. We go without lights most all the time using flashlights. We use the a/c at night for a few hours so we can sleep better. So far it's been costing us $20 every other day for fuel...you begin to weigh your options......throwing out your food and needing to purchase more, or paying for fuel for electric. There is currently another house guest staying in the upstairs which adds to the gen load...they are trying to keep a fridge and a/c as well. Things are getting a bit strained. We are praying for wisdom and grace. We planned on attending Bible Christian Crusaders Mission today. I met its pastor Rev Joseph Okoro last year. He flows with the Holy Spirit and moves strongly in the prophetic. We line up well together with our methods and foundations and so we enjoy the opportunity to be together when we can. We arranged to worship with them for the second service of the day at 11. We woke with an early call. The Ogbujis wanted to take Jon to the airport to send our visas to Lagos in order work on our visa issue. Eli and I stayed behind to get ready for church. Jon returned sometime later after finding out that none of the airlines will transport passports through courier service. We will need to try another way to get them to Lagos. We went on to Rev Okoro's church. It was a pleasure to see him again and as before, God had us both ‘on the same page' even having read the same scriptures and battling the same issues in the church. After a brief conversation before the service, he smiled and said....by the way, you're preaching; God was at it again. The message on my heart was the use of ‘culture' to hide behind behavioral patterns and disobedience in the church members. Ouch. No one talks or touches culture.....it's the sacred cow. God was amazing. Truth spoken in love opened the doors to repentance. At the end of the message based on ‘the traditions of man make the word of God of no effect' I led them in prayers of repentance and deliverance to become true worshipers in spirit and in TRUTH....not in cultural excuses. I know that God will have the message delivered again and again and so I am in prayer and much study during the weekdays. The warfare began immediately after service. Our vehicle promptly stopped running without explanation leaving us in the afternoon sun for a period. My ears began ringing and aching as never before. One of the scriptures I repeatedly used was ‘he who has ears let him hear.' Once Jon repaired the vehicle....nothing was ever found to be wrong.....hhhmmmm, as we were driving someone pulled directly in front of us. Interestingly, the thoughts had just gone through my mind and I was just telling Jon that we needed to step up the prayers due to the message given....at that exact moment a motorcycle pulled in front of us. Chief driver locked up the brakes and we slid to the side of the road. Only God spared the impact. For those of you reading, please continue to hold us up in prayer as the prophetic messages and work being released is shaking the kingdom of darkness and prayers are appreciated. The boldness that comes with the anointing is amazing. I stood and commanded to the gates of darkness....spoke to the strongholds of death and darkness, etc with authority and it's as though you can hear them shaking; it's a serious work that we take very seriously and fearfully under the hand of God. We stayed in the remainder of the day - trying to stay cool. We have not had power for nearly a week. At first I murmur - then I complain - then I pout and eventually I adjust. Not a pretty sight, I'm afraid. The heat is a major stronghold against me. I need the grace and my body needs to learn how to function at 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity. No power has meant no recharging and limited use of phones and laptops. The transformer in our area has been damaged which means during the ‘window' that power is released, we do not receive any.

There’s power this morning….something to be grateful for. There’s not a lot one can do with one’s hair in this humidity. I got a curly perm before leaving…doesn’t fit the trends in West Michigan but sure works for here. The heat, humidity and sweat activates the curls so I only need to work with the front. Some days when there’s power I can use my curling iron to do some straightening in front….on other days, it doesn’t really matter. If I am going out, I try to at least ‘feel’ pretty and a little primping helps me out. Since Sunday is a ‘work’ day for me and I am never knowing what I’ll be doing, I try to put myself together the best I can. They’ve decided to take us to a fellowship of a few hundred where we’ve not been before. We arrived during praise and worship which has been going on for an hour or two already. We are placed on the platform next to the minister’s wife. After offering time and tithing time (two separate events), we are announced by the pastor. The pastor’s words were: “ With a black in the White House and the whites worshipping in Nigeria, certainly the days of reconciliation have come.” The Obama election has had deep-reaching effects here. They feel it is a sign that equality is finally on the way. I am sure the time will come when we will be allowed to speak our opinion on the election but that time has not yet come. God’s grace will need to be upon the timing as our words will not be what they will want to hear. Jon is asked to come forward and greet the people. The Nigerians love Jon. He is such a big man in their eyes and he always makes them laugh. Eli was also introduced and asked to come forward. The pastor gave him the microphone. As I sat behind him on the platform, I was amazed at what a wonderful young man was standing before me. He was so relaxed and such a good sport. When he finished and turned his back to the congregation to come back to his seat, the crowd instantly reacted with whispers and conversation as they saw the long blonde ponytail down his back. They were instantly taken with him. The pastor had taken Rev Mrs Ogbuji aside during the second offering and said he felt I was to ‘take the service.’ Goodness came to me and said, “The service is yours. Take your liberty.” I was introduced and given the mic. God took it from there. It was wonderful to be ‘back in the saddle.’ The message was timely and God’s grace carried me through. When it was time to leave, they blessed us with an offering. God is indeed faithful. Following the service we needed to stop and make a hospital visit. A young woman who had been married for 5 years had surgery for what they called a fibroid. I’ve been on many hospital visits and the initial shock is somewhat over for me. This was the first such visit for Jon and Eli. We went into the room which was shared by another woman recovering from surgery. You can’t imagine but I can try to give a description. Each one has their own bed. There are not bathrooms but bedpans under the beds. They have a sheet to cover up with. There is a type of IV but nothing I’ve seen before. There was not any A/C while we were there. The ventilation ….I was going to say was poor but the truth is that there isn’t any. No sinks or water in the rooms. The heat and smell is a bad combination. The nurse came in while we were there and asked us to come with her. She wanted to show us something. While I stayed in the room and prayed privately with the woman, Jon went with the nurse and she picked up a bowl that contained a tumor the size of a full term baby that had been removed from the woman the previous day. No refrigeration or anything to preserve or cover the tumor….it was enough for Jon to see. These fibroids are common among the women. It prevents pregnancy and very often left unattended is fatal as it takes over and causes many other health problems to get out of control. Eli’s eyes continue to be open…he spoke of how our hospitals were and how these people survive more than he imagined and still have joy. We all humbly thanked God for our health. The rest of the day was peaceful. The heat and humidity is so oppressive that your strength is spent easily. Laying around is about all you can do at times. There’s no power for television and nothing really to do….Jon and Eli have watched movies on the laptops….keeping everything charged up and ready is important since you never know when the power will be back on. Once we are started on the rural projects, there will be much more to keep them busy but we will not be going out to the villages until later in the week. We are waiting for Rev Ogbuji to return – we’ve not seen him since our coming into Calabar.

Rest was the order of the day. Mental and emotion exhaustion creeps up on you and with the heat and humidity, it’s best to keep rested. We’d been on the move since leaving for Chicago on Tuesday and we were not able to unplug our minds and sleep without “one eye open” so to speak. Our bedroom has A/C which is a blessing for sure. NEPA is the Nigerian Electric Power Authority, the locals say NEPA – Never Expect Power Always…utility comes and goes throughout the day. So that means we keep things on the charger as much as possible and keep the A/C on so that it can cool things down when we have the power to do so. We try not to spend too much time in the A/C as that makes it more of a challenge during the times there is no power. On average, there are probably a dozen or so power interruptions a day. Goodness Ogbuji took us to a market Saturday night. She had been told ‘it’s where the whites go.’ It was a typical market house but did offer a tremendous amount of brand items that we were familiar with. You can find just about anything you may need…..it may be labeled in another language but the product is available. Inflation has hit Nigeria but it’s very random and hard to determine what is affected. Jon bought 3 Fantas (orange sodas) for 180NR + 20NR deposit to return the bottles. (approx $1.30) which isn’t bad. But yet, in the store when looking for shampoo, it ranged from $4 - $10 a bottle for 14-16 oz. A Uncle Ben’s bag (#20) of rice was $40USD; 1 liter of juice ranges from 350-500NR ($2.50 to 3.30.) I’ve taken a liking to SILK Soy milk……can’t believe they have it here but it hits the spot for me. It’s about 450NR – about $3 a liter box – a real treat when I can leave it in their ‘freezer’ and drink it ‘cold.’ The plans for Sunday are not yet settled. We will be worshiping at an Assemblies church of their choosing. We’ve been told to be ready by 9:30am.